More Than Good
by just a bit foxy
Summary: He just wanted to go somewhere to think and only think.


It was quiet in the hangar and that was just fine with Lyle. Sometimes he liked to come to his Gundam and think. Haro always insisted on coming with him just in case he wanted to do a simulation. Lyle hadn't the heart to tell the excitable little robot he had no intention of doing that. He just wanted to go somewhere to think and only think. He knew he could have done that in his room, but he had felt strangely caged there. Those rooms could seem nicely sized in one moment and too small in the next. At least, as far as Lyle was concerned.

"Lockon! Lockon!" Lyle lifted his gaze to look at the orange robot. "Something wrong? Something wrong?"

He smiled and shook his head. "No," he told it, "it's kind of the opposite."

"What do you mean? What do you mean?"

"It's ... complicated."

"Why? Why?"

Lyle sighed, leaning back in the seat. "I'm not sure I can explain it." He didn't think he could confide in Haro about Anew. He didn't think relationships were something it would know anything about. Also, he knew if he started to explain it all he wouldn't be able to stop.

"Try for Haro? Try for Haro?" The robot asked, flapping its ears at him.

He couldn't help but smile. "Well ..."

"Haro is a good listener! Haro is a good listener!"

For a split second, Lyle wondered if Neil had ever sought counsel in Haro. He recalled how pleased Haro had been on seeing him and thought how it had said it was his partner._ 'Is it possible they were friends?' _he wondered.

"Haro will help Lockon! Haro will help Lockon!" it said, flapping its ears again.

"I don't think you can." Lyle replied and patted it on the head. "It's about a girl."

"Lockon likes Feldt? Lockon likes Feldt?"

He laughed and shook his head. "No, not Feldt. Anew." he corrected.

"Anew likes Lockon? Anew likes Lockon?"

He laughed again and shrugged.

"Lockon should tell! Lockon should tell!"

"I don't think I would even know how."

"Why? Why?"

He shrugged again, suddenly realizing he was confiding in Haro when he previously had thought it wouldn't be a good idea. "I'll figure it out eventually." he assured it.

"Lyle?" He blinked and looked at the catwalk. It was Anew. _'Of course it is,'_ he chided himself, _'no one else really calls me Lyle. Plus, that voice is unmistakable.'_

"Hey. I'll be there in a second." He turned his gaze to Haro. "Not a word."

"Haro keeps Lockon's secret! Haro keeps Lockon's secret!" Haro said.

Satisfied, Lyle left his Gundam with Haro right behind. Anew smiled at them, hands clasped behind her back. Something in the way she stood made Lyle wonder if she was nervous. Sometimes she seemed confident. Other times, she seemed nervous. Once in a while, she would gaze off into nothing. Those times made him worry more than he'd admit. She never seemed to realize just what was going on at those times. Only yesterday, he had to shake her shoulder until she had turned around to look at him.

"You weren't busy, were you?" Anew asked, bringing him back to the present for a change.

"Lockon is free! Lockon is free!" Haro answered before Lyle had a chance.

Anew laughed. "You don't mind if I steal him away for a bit, then?"

"No! No! Anew can have Lockon! Anew can have Lockon!"

Lyle spread out his hands. "You heard him. I'm yours." _'Damn it,'_ he thought, _'why did I have to say it like that?'_

Anew smiled. "Come on, then." she said, catching his hand in hers.

He blushed and let her lead him along. Haro floated along behind them at first before he left them in search of Feldt. It was then that Lyle realized they were completely alone. They had managed to make it to the exit without running into anyone. He thought that was impressive. After all, Tieria seemed to ruin things for him whenever he had a chance. The bespectacled Meister had accepted him as the next Lockon Stratos when he had efficiently destroyed the Memento Mori, but he still sensed a distance between the two of them. He attributed it to Neil. Something had happened there. He just knew it. At one point, he considered asking Tieria if they'd been lovers, but he decided all that would earn him was a slap to the face. They were probably just friends, though he'd been told that Tieria had been cold during Neil's time as a Meister. The two of them had argued a lot, Setsuna had revealed when Lyle had asked just after the attack on the orbital elevator.

After that had happened, Lyle remembered, it seemed they had copious amounts of free time. That was why Sumeragi had issued the order for them to head back to the surface. They had earned some time, she assured them. Also, she had added, A-Laws seemed to be busy with other things and it was an ideal opportunity to continue the repairs on the Ptolemy. They had only been here for about a week and a half. Setsuna and Tieria rarely left the Ptolemy. Both of them seemed extremely distracted and -

"Lyle?" Anew was looking at him in concern and the tone of her voice told him she'd called him at least three times.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly, "got lost in my thoughts."

"Apparently." She smiled and he was relieved. That meant she wasn't annoyed with him, but he decided it would be hypocritical of her if she were since she was the one who often disappeared inside her head.

"I guess most of us have been doing that. I heard Tieria saying the other day that he thought it was too quiet and we should go back into space."

"Tieria doesn't seem to like the surface very much."

"Heh, you noticed that, too?"

She nodded.

"What about you?"

She blinked, looking confused. "What do you mean?"

"Do you like the surface?"

She looked even more confused.

"... Nevermind." It was the closest he'd come to asking her about her past. "It was a stupid question."

"No. I just ..." She looked lost now. "I'm not sure."

"Oh. Well. Um. Don't worry about it." Lyle said hastily. "How long did you work at L3?"

"Since Celestial Being's activities started up again."

"Not that long then."

She shook her head. "Not really, no." she agreed.

He wanted to press her further because he wanted to know all about her he could. However, he didn't want to upset her. She was too important to him to lose her just because he was curious. That would have been the stupidest thing he'd ever do, he decided.

"How long have you been with Celestial Being?" Anew asked as they left the Ptolemy in favor of outside, dropping his hand.

He tried not to look disappointed. "Not long either. My brother was part of the interventions four years ago, so I guess they decided I'd be his replacement."

Anew nodded. "Feldt told me about your brother." she admitted. "Not very much, but she told me that even though you're his twin, you're nothing alike."

Now he was trying not to scowl. "Yeah," he said, knowing his voice sounded tight, "that's what I tried to tell them when I first got here. They all thought I was him back from the dead or something."

She touched his arm, making him stop and turn to face her. "It really bothers you when people compare you to him, doesn't it?" she asked softly.

He nodded. "Neil was always ... better. I hate it when people want me to be like him. 'S why I .." he trailed off, looking at her uncertainly.

"Why you kissed Feldt." Anew finished for him with a slight smile. "That's what you were going to say, right?"

"Right." He was amazed. "How'd you do that?"

She shrugged.

"You must have super powers or something." He grinned. "Pretty impressive."

She laughed now. "More like I just put two and two together."

"Either way you've got me figured out. I guess I can't hide anything from you."

"I'm sure there're some things you can hide from me."

"Not thinking so."

"I think so."

Lyle was suddenly acutely aware of how close they were standing - only inches apart, he realized. "Well, I -" he began.

Her lips met his and the rest of his words died on his tongue. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he was kicking himself for not making the first move, but really, this suited him just fine. This meant his feelings were returned. This he could live with. It was sweet, coupled with intensity and uncertainty. No one had ever kissed him - nor had he kissed anyone - like this. He decided that maybe love at first sight did exist.

He liked the way they seemed to fit together, the way they seemed to know what each other wanted despite it being the first kiss. He supposed that was because they had taken (some) time to get to know each other. The chemistry had been there. They just had needed to fan the fires. And in Lyle's mind, that was exactly what this kiss was. Fire. An explosion. (He would never be a poet.)

When they broke apart, he wanted to pull her back, but instead found himself mesmerized by her eyes. She, too, seemed mesmerized by his eyes. Neither of them seemed able to look away. Then, someone called their names and they broke apart completely.

"Sumeragi called a meeting." Tieria said, eyeing them as he came into view. "In five minutes."

Lyle couldn't exactly form a sentence, so he was happy when Anew told Tieria they'd be there in a minute. Tieria, seemingly satisfied, left.

"Did I break you?" Anew asked, teasing.

Lyle couldn't help but grin. "Not just yet, no. That was ... um ..."

"Good?"

"More than good."

She smirked and he very nearly shoved her against the side of the ship, but she was already heading side as if trying to remind him they had somewhere to be. He didn't mind following her. The view was nice, after all. The meeting, on the other hand, would be hell to get through.

_'Too bad I can't take a cold shower before meeting ...'_


End file.
